Welcome to my new weekly column “Tuesday Travel”. I am so thrilled to be doing a great deal of “freelance traveling writing” for various media outlets this year, and I am looking forward to also sharing my travel experiences as well on Ingredients, Inc. every other Tuesday.
I am so lucky to live only 4 hours from the beautiful beaches of South Walton in Northwest Florida and the stunningly amazing golf and beach resort, Sandestin. My family and I had an incredible opportunity to visit Sandestin this Spring Break, and when my youngest son called it, “a mini Disney World” at the beach, I could truly see why. I had so much to say about this comprehensive resort experience that when I sat down to write about it, I wondered how I could say it all. I am hoping this post on “Sandestin A to Z” will give you a short tour of why you should come to Sandestin for a visit.
A: Acme Oyster House-You will get a taste of New Orleans walking around The Village of Baytowne Wharf, especially this view of the streets and the famous New Orleans restaurant, Acme Oyster House.
B: Beach-It is no surprise that Destin has been named by Good Morning America as one of “Top 10 Most Beautiful Places in America.”
C: Cantina Laredo–The Mexican restaurant, Cantina Laredo, is located in Sandestin’s Grand Boulevard shops. My kids loved it, and their favorite part was having guacamole made table side.
D: Daiquiris-Sandestin has nearly two dozen venues in The Village of Baytowne Wharf, including pub sports bars, seasonal tiki bars, restaurants, shops, and even the famous New Orleans Daiquiri and frozen drink bar, Fat Tuesday. Love this evening view of Baytowne Wharf.
E: Another Broken Egg-This is one of our favorite breakfast restaurants. There are two Another Broken Egg restaurants on Sandestin’s Property.
F: Fishing-This was my backyard for the weekend, but every lake has a “catch and release” policy which is so fun for the kids (and adults.)
G: Golf-Sandestin has four incredible championship golf courses, and it is not surprising that Sandestin has been named one of the “Top 12 Golf Communities” by Forbes.
H: Happiness-Say no more.
I: Ice Skating– In the wintertime, Sandestin adds a synthetic ice skating rink in the heart of Baytown Wharf.
J: Jet Ski-If you like an exciting or casual ride on the water, wave runners are available to rent at the Baytowne Marina.
K: Kayaking-Kayaking is one of our family’s favorite activities at the beach. Head to the Baytowne Marina for a fun afternoon kayaking in the bay.
L: Lakes-72 lakes exist on Sandestin’s 2400 acres. They are all beautifully landscaped and very picturesque.
M: Marina-Sandestin has an 113-Slip Marina with so many fun activities, including sailing charters and lessons, sailboat rentals, pontoon boat rentals, wave runner rentals, sunset cruises, Yolo stand-up paddle boarding and more.
N: Nature Trail–Jolee Island Nature Park is 5 acres and the perfect place for a walk, bike ride, picnic or cookout with family or friends. During the fall, I hear that there is a great Halloween pirate themed island trail with hayrides and more. They call it, “Get Spooked on Jolee Island.”
O: Outdoors-Where else can you get hiking, biking, beach, running, golf, tennis, beach volleyball, basketball, canoeing, paddle boarding, boogie boards and water sports all in one destination?
P: Putting Course–The Dunes adventurous Putting Course is located beachside. This 51-par course had 18 incredibly landscaped holes of fun. It’s a great thing to do when the kids want a break from the ocean.
Q: Quintessential Vacation-The beauty in Sandestin is almost surreal. This is truly a quintessential vacation destination.
R: Ropes Course–The Sky Trail Ropes Course is a fun challenge for kids of all ages.
S: San Gelato Cafe-Located in Baytown Wharf, we visited San Gelato Cafe every day. Owners, Guido and Simona, moved from Italy to the Emerald coast. You can find two locations in Destin which serve incredible gelato, sorbets, sandwiches, salads, coffee and desserts. Their gelato is also distributed in stores throughout the country.
T: Tennis-Sandestin is equipped with 15 tennis courts, 12 clay and 3 hard courts. This state of the art facility is built around lakes on one side and the marina on the other.
U: Umbrellas-Enjoy the view sitting or walking the seven miles of beaches and pristine bay front in Sandestin.
V: Vacation-Sandestin has 19 swimming pools. Yes, 19! This picture of my son, Zachary, by the pool, is the definition of vacation. Just chillin…
W: Water-Do I need to say more?
X: Xcellent Accommodations: From beach to bay, there are nearly 1,400 accommodations ranging from deluxe studios to four bedroom villas.
Y: Yolo boarding–Yolo Boards, which are stand-up paddle boards, are made in Santa rosa beach, just down the road. The combination of surfing, kayaking and canoeing is a blast for kids and adults and also an incredible core workout. Lessons and rentals are offered daily at the Sandestin Marina.
I have been there, and it is a great vacation for the entire family
I am SO putting that on my list of vacation spots! WOW
Incredible write up and photos. Excellent work!
Wow, it looks as though you had a fantastic time, Alison! My kids would love the catch & release lakes throughout the property.
What a great family destination! I’ve never been there, but it is certainly on my list now! 😀
So glad you could visit and enjoy all that Sandestin has to offer! It is a great place for golf, fishing, and families! Wonderful photos and fun to read post!
This is one of my fave posts you’ve ever done! I LOVE These pics and thank you for sharing your vacay and your family pics and for this feature. Seriously, lovin’ it! When I saw all these pics on your Instagram feed a couple weeks ago, I was so envious of those white sandy beach pics!
Thanks Averie! It was so fun to write. You will be seeing a lot more travel here on Ingredients, Inc.
Susan, Next time we must meet up for sure! Thanks for all your suggestions on restaurants in the area!
This looks amazing! Great photography! I want to try Yolo boarding
Great article and photos on our SanDestin Neighbors–so glad you and your family had a wonderful time here! Our beaches of NW Florida are truly special indeed & you did a wonderful job of covering it. Best of luck with your “freelance travel writing”—it’s off to a great start!
Thanks Davis Properties! What a great place to work and live
I NEED to vacation here!
I know Maria! You truly do. Your family will love it!!
OMG Alison! What a post! You are a amazing! I love Sandestin for its beauty and amazing Tennis!! The pros there are awesome!
You made me day dreaming about holiday…
My favorite part of the trip was YOLO Boarding, but I can’t wait to go back to Sandestin
That’s so cool that you’ve been doing travel writing… looks like you’ve had a great vacation here!
AMAZING TRAVEL PIECE Alison! You are great at what you do!
I must make it a point to check out this destination. It looks fantastic
Absolutely LOVE this post! Cannot wait for your next adventure and to read all about it!
Alison, I LOVE the idea of your new Travel Tuesdays!! Had never heard of Sandestin until now. Sounds amazing ~ will need to go there some day 🙂
Wow, I guess I have no excuse to come and see Sandestin. Looks beautiful.
What a fun post Alison!! we are in the process of planning a trip there this summer! can’t wait, it looks so beautiful! I went to Acme in New Orleans! I didn’t realize they had one there…love oysters!
Beautifully done piece, Allison! Pics are phenomenal. Have known about Destin for many years & have spent great family vacations there. Friend owns 2 condos on Miramar Beach & have stayed there…but this summer moving on down the road to Sandestin. Saw a great deal locally on a condo in Baytown Wharf. We have eaten @ Acme & walked around Baytown..but would be even more fun to stay there. Thx & happy beaching to all!
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